Hard hat with reinforcing ribs



P 20, 1966 J. R. ANDREWS m 3,273,162

HARD HAT WITH REINFORCING RIBS Filed Dec. 5, 1964 FIG.4

INVENTOR: JOHN R. ANDREWS 111 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,273,162 HARD HAT WITH REINFORCING RIBS John R. Andrews III, North Uxbridge, Mass., assignor to Welsh Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Dec. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 415,653

3 Claims. (Cl. 23)

This invention relates to a hard hat of the type that is molded of some sort of plastic material having electrical insulating qualities.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a molded hard hat, the walls of which will be thin and yet sufficiently strong to withstand impacts which may be received by the crown portion of the hat.

Another object of the invention is to strengthen the crown of the hat without increasing the weight thereof.

Another object of this invention is to strengthen the crown of the hat by means of ribs which are deflected outwardly of the crown portion and which also provide a pocket for attaching the head suspension to the hat.

Another object of this invention is to provide a head suspension receiving means which will not project inwardly from the main wall portion of the hat but will rather be located in stiffening ribs with which the hat is provided.

Another object of this invention is to provide a construct-ion which may be molded all of one piece of material and thus avoid the necessity of hand operations for assembly of parts.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the accompany-ing drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the hard hat formed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a section on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view looking from the inside of the hat outwardly to show the means for attachment of the head suspension.

In proceeding with this invention, I have molded a hard hat of such a form that the crown portion is relative- 1y thin but strengthened by means of outwardly extending ribs which are in the form of a cross and provide at the inner lower edges of the ribs a pocket for the reception of a hat suspension so that the molded hat may be suspended on the head and out of contact therewith.

-With reference to the drawings, the hat designated generally comprises a crown portion 11 which has a relatively thin wall seen at 12 in FIG. 3 which is arcuate to receive the head therein. In order that this wall may be stifiened, ribs 15, 16, 1'7 and 18 are formed by molding the wall outwardly along the location of the ribs but without materially thickening the wall thereof such as shown in FIG. 3, thus providing ogee portions 18 and 19 which by reason of their formation materially stiffen the wall along which they extend without substantially increasing the weight of the hat.

These ribs merge into a top portion 20 or radiate from the top portion as can best be seen in FIG. 1.

The lower edge of the arcuate crown is provided with a marginal edge portion 22 which is set outwardly from the arcluate crown 1.1 and is somewhat thicker than the wall of the crown as is seen in FIG. 4. The ribs, however, extend as seen at 25 at their lower ends into this marginal thickened edge portion which is also outwardly extending at the location of the lower edge of these ribs and also provides a recess as at 26 (see FIG. 5) in the lower edge of these ribs which extends to the lower edge 27 of the hat.

A head suspension is located in the lower portion of each of these ribs and is mounted therein by means designated generally 30, comprising inwardly extending lips 31 and 3 2 which are recessed as at 33 and 34 and provided with a horizontal rib 35 for receiving a means of attachment of a head suspension device which has corresponding parts to fit these recesses and be retained in position within the rib portions of the suspension device extending upwardly in the recess of the ribs so as to be well accommodated therein.

By reason of this c nstruction there are no parts which project inwardly to interfere with a smooth surface of the hat when in position on the head. All of the parts may be molded integral with the hat and the hat is of a strong construction by reason of the reinforcing of the ribs as shown.

I claim:

1. A molded hard hat having an arcuate crown portion and a outward-1y flaring generally horizontal marginal lower edge, the thickness of the lower marginal edge being greater than the wall of the crown portion, said wall being outwardly deflected to provide ribs radiating from the mid top portion downwardly along the arcuate wall and extending into and across said marginal edge which is also outwardly deflected at the location of said ribs, said thicker lower edge extending from rib to rib providing a support against compression of adjacent ribs.

2. A molded hat as in claim 1 wherein the ribs are in substantially the shape of a cross.

3. A molded hat as in claim 1 wherein the means to attach a head suspension is located along the inner surface of said ribs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,025,772 12/1935 Punton 2-5 2,632,173 3/1953 Lyon. 2,688,747 9/ 1954 Marx 26 2,795,792 6/1957 Finke-n 23 2,858,538 11/1958 Simpson 23 3,192,536 7/1965 Benner 23 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

FRANK J. COHEN, Examiner.

I. R. BOLER,.Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MOLDED HARD HAT HAVING AN ARCUATE CROWN PORTION AND A OUTWARDLY FLARING GENERALLY HORIZONTAL MARGINAL LOWER EDGE, THE THICKNESS OF THE LOWER MARGINAL EDGE BEING GREATER THAN THE WALL OF THE CROWN PORTION, SAID WALL BEING OUTWARDLY DEFLECTED TO PROVIDE RIBS RADIATING FROM THE MID TOP PORTION DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE ARCUATE WALL AND EXTENDING INTO AND ACROSS SAID MARGINAL EDGE WHICH IS ALSO OUTWARDLY DEFLECTED AT THE LOCATION OF SAID RIBS, SAID THICKER LOWER EDGE EXTENDING FROM RIB TO RIB PROVIDING A SUPPORT AGAINST COMPRESSION OF ADJACENT RIBS. 